TITLE: The American Revolution: A Concise History
AUTHOR: Robert Allison
STARTED: March 24, 2011
FINISHED: April 5, 2011
PAGES: 128
GENRE: History
FIRST SENTENCE: [From the Preface] "The History of our Revolution will be one continued lye from one end to the other," John Adams predicted.
SUMMARY: [From Amazon.com
] Between 1760 and 1800, the American people cast off British rule to create a new nation and a radically new form of government based on the idea that people have the right to govern themselves. In this lively account, Robert Allison provides a cohesive synthesis of the military, diplomatic, political, social, and intellectual aspects of the Revolution, paying special attention to the Revolution's causes and consequences. The book recreates the tumultuous events of the 1760s and 1770s that led to revolution, such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party, as well as the role the Sons of Liberty played in turning resistance into full-scale revolt. Allison explains how and why Americans changed their ideas of government and society so profoundly in these years and how the War for Independence was fought and won. He highlights the major battles and commanders on both sides--with a particular focus on George Washington and the extraordinary strategies he developed to defeat Britain's superior forces--as well as the impact of French military support on the American cause. In the final chapter, Allison explores the aftermath of the American Revolution: how the newly independent states created governments based on the principles for which they had fought, and how those principles challenged their own institutions, such as slavery, in the new republic. He considers as well the Revolution's legacy, the many ways its essential ideals influenced other struggles against oppressive power or colonial systems in France, Latin America, and Asia. THOUGHTS: If you need a brief primer on the American Revolution for any reason, this is your book. It's jam packed full of historical detail and facts. I found myself dreaming about my middle school history classes - I had a lot of "Oh yeah!" moments. Allison does a great job of incorporating all the important scenes of the Revolation and showing the impact the had on early U.S. history. Her writing style is very straight forward. There are very few scenes of narrative, it's mainly straight information and explanation. For those of use (myself included) who need a cheat sheet, the timeline in the front pages of the book is a great reference.
RATING: 6/10 [Good]
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